1918 United States Senate election in Mississippi explained

The 1918 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 3, 1918. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James K. Vardaman ran for re-election to a second term in office, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by U.S. Representative Pat Harrison.

Because Harrison faced only nominal opposition in the general election, his victory in the August 20 primary was tantamount to election.

Background

In 1911, former Governor of Mississippi James K. Vardaman challenged and defeated Senator LeRoy Percy in the Democratic Party primary election, the first in state history. The victory established Vardaman and Theodore Bilbo as the uncontested leaders of the state Democratic Party. Vardaman established a reputation as a populist opponent of the state's planter elite and a white supremacist critic of the Theodore Roosevelt administration on racial issues.

In 1917, Vardaman stirred controversy by voting with the six-person minority against the United States declaration of war on Germany, defying President Woodrow Wilson and the vast majority of Southern sentiment.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Pat Harrison, U.S. Representative from Gulfport
• Edmond Noel, former Governor of Mississippi (1908–12)
• James K. Vardaman, incumbent U.S. Senator since 1913

Campaign

Harrison ran with the public support of President Wilson, who opposed Vardaman over his vote against the war.

Results

General election

Results

See also

• 1918 United States Senate elections

References

Further reading

• Book: Mullins, Phillip. The Ancestors Of George & Hazel Mullins: Chapter 14 - "The Revolt of the Rednecks. University of Texas at Austin. https://web.archive.org/web/20120212191814/http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~pmullins/chapter14.htm . 2012-02-12 .